Glacius is the second of the five descendants tied to the Mariana’s Awakening questline, and he stands guard over Challenger’s Deep. His task, Glacius: Frozen Veins, is short on paperwork and long on conditions: two very specific fish, both carrying the Chilled mutation, both caught with one specific rod.
Quick answer: With the Challenger’s Rod equipped, catch three Chilled Hoarfrost Halibut using Fish Head bait on a clear day, then land one perfect catch of a Chilled Glacial Gulper using Shrimp bait on a foggy night. Both need Winter.
Glacius: Frozen Veins objectives and rewards
Open the Quest Book after speaking to Glacius and you’ll see two objectives, both of which lock you to the layer’s own rod. Partial credit does not carry over from other rods, so there is no shortcut here.
- Catch 3 Chilled Hoarfrost Halibut with the Challenger’s Rod (0/3)
- Perfect Catch 1 Chilled Glacial Gulper with the Challenger’s Rod (0/1)
- Reward: Challenger’s Gauntlet plus 25,000 XP
The gauntlet is the real prize. Each descendant hands one over, and the full set of five is what lets you ignite the layer gems and open the Abyss Gate into the Obsidian Trench. Skipping Glacius means the gate stays shut.
Before you talk to Glacius: rod, gear, and layer access
Challenger’s Deep is the second layer of Mariana’s Veil, and the cold there will kill an unprotected player. You need either the Glimmerfin Suit Lv.2 or a Winter Cloak equipped before you spend any real time fishing. Reaching the layer itself means taking a submarine down through the Volcanic Vents tunnels and out into open water before descending into the ice.
The Glimmerfin Suit Lv.2 comes from the layer’s altar quest, which asks for an Ice Crystal, a Cryoskin, a Polar Prowler, and the Tier 1 Glimmerfin Suit from Volcanic Vents. The Polar Prowler is the slow part, since it’s a Legendary that only bites at night in clear Winter weather on Truffle Worm bait.
The Challenger’s Rod is also required; it costs 750,000 C$ and is available at GPS 738.1, -3354.9, -1529. Glacius is standing right across from the seller, so face around after purchasing the rod to find him. If Glacius does not offer dialogue, begin the larger questline by visiting Vaelor at Roslit Bay, then follow the instructions to examine the glowing mineral veins in all five layers. The current build is available through the official Fisch experience page.
Hoarfrost Halibut and Glacial Gulper catch conditions
The two quest fish want opposite conditions, which is why most players end up splitting the work into two separate sessions rather than trying to do both in one.
| Fish | Bait | Time and weather | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoarfrost Halibut | Fish Head | Day, Clear | Winter |
| Glacial Gulper | Shrimp | Night, Foggy | Winter |
Both entries are listed in the Bestiary under Challenger’s Deep, so you can confirm the conditions in-game at any point. The Chilled prefix is a mutation rolled on the catch itself, not a separate species, which means you can hook the right fish several times before one comes up Chilled.
Equip the Mutated Sharky companion before you start casting. Its ability raises mutation chance, which is the single biggest factor in how long this quest takes.
Catching the three Chilled Hoarfrost Halibut
Forcing night and fog for the Chilled Glacial Gulper
The second objective is the one that stalls people, because it needs night and fog at the same time. Rather than waiting for the cycle, use totems to set both conditions yourself.
If you land a Chilled Glacial Gulper but the counter stays at 0/1, the catch was not a perfect one. Cast again rather than assuming the quest is bugged.
Turning in the quest and confirming the Challenger’s Gauntlet
With both objectives marked complete in the Quest Book, walk back to Glacius at the rod vendor and interact with him again. The turn-in is instant and needs no extra materials.
You’ll know it worked when the on-screen message reads “You just got a Challenger’s Gauntlets” along with +25000 xp, and the accessory appears in your inventory. That’s your confirmation that the Challenger’s Deep leg of Mariana’s Awakening is done.
From here the trail continues to Tenebris in Abyssal Zenith, then Luminis in the Calm Zone and Resonus in the Veil of the Forsaken. Hold on to the gauntlet, because all five are needed later to ignite the layer gems at the Crevice Wall.
